Silver carp is a fairly inexpensive freshwater fish from the cyprinid family, has fat tender meat and contains many useful trace elements. Due to its properties, this product is considered an excellent component of dietary nutrition in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. True, in order for the fish to be really useful, it is very important to properly prepare it.
The silver carp baked in the oven is quite capable of becoming a crown treat on the festive table. This fish is usually made with a variety of spices, vegetables and spicy sauces. In addition to the fact that the carcass is baked whole, it is often served in portions and steaks.
Cooking fish in the oven allows you to save the maximum amount of nutrients in it. In addition, if you bake the carcass in a foil or sleeve, then you do not need to supplement the dish with excess fat, and the silver carp will languish in its own juice. Such treats can even be given to children without fear. And the recipes of silver carp, baked in the oven, today a huge number. So choose the right one and take note of it.
How to choose a silver carp
As a rule, this fish is sold freshly caught, and in some cases even completely alive. This, of course, is best to choose. Well, if the silver carp does not show signs of life, be sure to pay close attention to its appearance and smell. His eyes should be transparent, the scales should be moist and shiny, and the gills should be bright pink or even scarlet.
The smell of such a fish is specific - it resembles algae, which is characteristic of all freshwater individuals. But do not worry, after heat treatment this aroma will completely disappear.
When choosing a silver carp, try to give preference to large carcasses - usually they have a minimum number of seeds and a lot of meat. The best option would be a silver carp weighing 3-4 kg and above.
A few secrets of cooking
It is actually very difficult to spoil such a fish, but some subtleties of processing are still worth knowing before you begin the process.
When choosing a silver carp for baking, be sure to consider the dimensions of your oven. After all, this fish is quite large, and it may simply not fit in the entire cabinet. True, you should not despair in any case, because you can bake the carcass in pieces. By the way, it will turn out no less tasty.
If you decide to cook the silver carp in its entirety, make deep cuts in too thick places of the carcass. Thanks to this little trick, the fish will reach readiness much faster.
So that the side of the silver carp on which it lies does not burn, it is best to put it on a layer of onions.
Do not put the carcass directly on a baking sheet, it is advisable to use parchment, sleeve or foil. If you don’t have any auxiliary materials at hand, thoroughly heat the pan before putting fish on it.
Recipe of silver carp baked in the oven in slices
Portioned fish is an extremely healthy, nutritious and tasty dish. Moreover, such a treat can be done in parallel with the side dish.
If you buy fish already cut into pieces, try to pick steaks about a centimeter thick. Such slices will quickly cook and at the same time remain juicy.
For this dish you will need:
- 5 silver carp steaks;
- 3 teaspoons of honey;
- half a lemon;
- 0.5 teaspoon of provence herbs;
- the same amount of black pepper;
- a spoonful of salt;
- the same amount of vegetable oil.
Cooking process
If you have a whole fish at your disposal, you should cut it first. To do this, clean the carcass from scales, gut it carefully, be sure to cut out a dark film, chop off the tail and head. Only after this can the fish be washed, dried with paper towels and cut into steaks.
Slices of silver carp salt and pepper on both sides. Then sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and leave to marinate for 15 minutes. In the meantime, start making honey sauce. In a deep plate, combine melted honey, a teaspoon of lemon juice, oil, and Provence herbs.
Cover the baking sheet with foil, grease it with vegetable oil and lay the pickled steaks. Pour the cooked sauce over the slices. By the way, it is best to build a separate foil mold for each steak - this way the meat will turn out more tender and juicier. Cut the lemon remaining after squeezing the juice into slices. Insert these slices into each piece of fish - they will complement your dish with an unsurpassed aroma. Pinch the foil and place the pan in the oven. Cook the fish for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees.
As you can see, baking silver carp in foil in the oven is not so difficult. And the cooking process takes a maximum of half an hour, not counting the heat treatment. This is another advantage of this dish. In addition, silver carp, baked in the oven in this way, will turn out to be fabulously tasty, fragrant and tender. A bonus for true gourmets will be a light golden crust on a fish that arouses brutal appetite.
Silver carp baked in the oven in the sleeve
Such a dish turns out to be unusually juicy, and the fish itself acquires unsurpassed softness. This version of silver carp, baked in the oven, is rightfully considered one of the best ways to cook.
To get started, prepare:
- a silver carp carcass weighing about 3 kg;
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 2 lemons;
- salt and pepper per teaspoon;
- large onion;
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise.
Course of action
First of all, as usual, prepare the carcass by cutting, cleaning and washing it. Be sure to cut the gills by making longitudinal cuts for this under the jaws of the fish.
Peel the onion, wash and cut into small cubes. In a deep container, mix lemon juice, chopped vegetable and mayonnaise. Rub the fish thoroughly with this sauce and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into thin slices. Salt it and mix well. Optionally, add other spices and herbs. Then put the potatoes in a sleeve, place the pickled carcass on top and tie it. Place the billet on the baking sheet in the oven for 40 minutes at 200 degrees.
During cooking, the fish will emit a large amount of juice, which will soak the potatoes, due to which the side dish will turn out to be incredibly tasty. The silver carp baked in the oven will be the decoration of any table and will surely be enjoyed not only by adults, but also by children.